“There’s Matthew’s Hope, and there’s hopelessness.” ~ Donnie In Episode 49 of Straight Talk, No B.S. with Matthew’s Hope, Pastor Scott and Tracy are joined by Donnie who is a guest of Matthew’s Hope. Donnie began battling mental illness around age 40 and suddenly his life unraveled leaving him to live on the street. Scott met him while making rounds with the Matthew’s Hope mobile team and Donnie’s recovery began. In this episode you will learn important lessons about how people address mental health and how the advocates at Matthew’s Hope helped make it possible for Donnie to get a once-a-month injection that mitigates his bi-polar. Donnie is now working part-time at the Garden Theatre in Winter Garden, Florida and is well on his way to a life of independence and self-sustainability. Each week, Pastor Scott, Shelley and guests share their experiences from operating a homeless outreach in Florida's Orange and Brevard Counties to raise awareness and tackle some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding the homeless crisis in America today. For more information, visit: https://www.matthewshopeministries.org/ #homeless #homelessness #ministry #dignity #orangecounty #brevardcounty #crisis #homelessawareness #homelessnessshouldnotbeacrime #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness

In Episode 48 of Straight Talk, No B.S. with Matthew’s Hope, Pastor Scott and Shelley examine the callous way many in the public regard the passing of someone experiencing homelessness as “just another dead junkie.” They share memories of guests they have lost this year and offer insight into the stories behind those individuals and what makes them so much more than “just another dead junkie.” Each week, Pastor Scott, Shelley and guests share their experiences from operating a homeless outreach in Florida's Orange and Brevard Counties in order to raise awareness and tackle some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding the homeless crisis in America today. To learn more: https://www.matthewshopeministries.org/ #homeless #homelessness #ministry #dignity #orangecounty #brevardcounty #crisis #homelessawareness

In Episode 47 of Straight Talk, No B.S. with Matthew’s Hope, Pastor Scott and Shelley share their experiences of attending several political hob nob events where they spoke with local, state and federal politicians and candidates. Hear directly from a few of the politicians and candidates including Congressman Daniel Webster and learn their thoughts on our area’s homeless crisis. Each week, Pastor Scott, Shelley and guests share their experiences from operating a homeless outreach in Florida's Orange and Brevard Counties in order to raise awareness and tackle some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding the homeless crisis in America today. #homeless #homelessness #ministry #dignity #orangecounty #brevardcounty #politics #crisis #homelessawareness #candidates

“How can ‘they’ have a cell phone?” In Episode 46 of Straight Talk, No B.S. with Matthew’s Hope, Pastor Scott and Shelley respond to a series of questions that were post in the Winter Garden Community Facebook group asking how a homeless person can afford a cell phone or have an atm card. Hear why some answers are not always are simple as you might expect and also why we encourage everyone to keep these types of questions coming. If people never ask the hard questions, they never have a chance to learn something new. Each week, Pastor Scott, Shelley and guests share their experiences from operating a homeless outreach in Florida's Orange and Brevard Counties in order to raise awareness and tackle some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding the homeless crisis in America today. #homeless #homelessness #ministry #dignity #orangecounty #brevardcounty #crisis #homelessawareness #cellphone

In Episode 45 of Straight Talk, No B.S. with Matthew’s Hope, Pastor Scott and Shelley share insight into what hurricane season in Florida is like for those experiencing homelessness on the heels of Hurricane Debby. The greatest dangers, the biggest impacts and the mental toll of trying to recover. Plus, how you can help them prepare for the next storm and what supplies they are most in need of. Each week, Pastor Scott, Shelley and guests share their experiences from operating a homeless outreach in Florida's Orange and Brevard Counties in order to raise awareness and tackle some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding the homeless crisis in America today. #homeless #homelessness #dignity #orangecounty #brevardcounty #crisis #homelessawareness #hurricanedebby #hurricane

"Too many believe what homeless people look like are the 'guy on the corner'." - Pastor Scott In Episode 44 of Straight Talk, No B.S. with Matthew’s Hope, Tracy and Pastor Scott are joined by Megan Galamback who is the Preschool Director of Matthew’s Hope’s Firm Foundation Preschool. Learn what the Firm Foundation Preschool is and why it is such an important piece of Matthew’s Hope’s ministry. People often don’t think of families with children when they picture their idea of a stereotypical homeless person. But the number of children experiencing homelessness is on the rise. Each week, Pastor Scott, Shelley and guests share their experiences from operating a homeless outreach in Florida's Orange and Brevard Counties to raise awareness and tackle some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding the homeless crisis in America today. #homeless #homelessness #ministry #orangecounty #brevardcounty #homelesschildren #homelessawareness #firmfoundation #preschool

“It can be a little overwhelming when you start to think about it.” ~Pastor Scott In Episode 43 of Straight Talk, No B.S. with Matthew’s Hope, Pastor Scott and Shelley pull back the curtain and take us through some of the costs of operating a homeless outreach that many may not think of. You will learn about the scale of the operation, how much of their budget comes from donations or in-kind services and how much comes from monetary donations. Hear why Scott puts so much emphasis on being a good steward of their donors' money as well as how they track the cost of the services they provide. Each week, Pastor Scott, Shelley and guests share their experiences from operating a homeless outreach in Florida's Orange and Brevard Counties to raise awareness and tackle some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding the homeless crisis in America today. To learn more, visit https://www.matthewshopeministries.org/ #homeless #homelessness #ministry #dignity #orangecounty #brevardcounty #ministry #crisis #homelessawareness

“If we won’t start working together and locking arms, we’ll start to see homeless people at our front doors.” In Episode 42 of Straight Talk, No B.S. with Matthew’s Hope, Tracy and Pastor Scott are joined by Winter Garden, Florida’s District 3 commissioner Chloe Johnson. Learn what inspired Chloe to enter public service and what motivates her to be the change she wants to see. Plus, with Florida’s anti-camping law going into effect in just a few months, find out whether it is even on the radar of our local elected officials. Each week, Pastor Scott, Shelley and guests share their experiences from operating a homeless outreach in Florida's Orange and Brevard Counties in order to raise awareness and tackle some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding the homeless crisis in America today. #homeless #homelessness #ministry #dignity #orangecounty #brevardcounty #ministry #crisis #homelessawareness

People often think of skid row in L.A. or tent cities in other major cities when they picture the homeless crisis in our country, but Central Florida has the fastest growing homeless population anywhere in our nation. In Episode 41 of Straight Talk, No B.S. with Matthew’s Hope, Pastor Scott and Shelley discuss the growing homeless crisis here in Central Florida. Learn what is causing it, how fast it is increasing and what will happen if something isn’t done to address it. Each week, Pastor Scott, Shelley and guests share their experiences from operating a homeless outreach in Florida's Orange and Brevard Counties to raise awareness and tackle some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding the homeless crisis in America today. #homeless #homelessness #ministry #dignity #orangecounty #brevardcounty #ministry #crisis #homelessawareness